2014 AD100: Ferguson & Shamamian Architects

Founded by Mark Ferguson and Oscar Shamamian, this Manhattan residential firm gives historic forms a welcoming refinement. Classically inspired details and proportions prevail among the pair’s distinguished projects, which include a Palladian-style villa in Malibu, California; a neo-Georgian estate in Westport, Connecticut; and a pared-down penthouse in a landmark New York City apartment building. “Good design survives the test of time,” Ferguson and Shamamian wrote in the monograph New Traditional Architecture (Rizzoli, 2011). “The past, however, is never copied but interpreted, since it must be adapted to the client and to circumstance.” Far from textbook, the duo’s work invariably feels more friendly than formal. In their words: “While a house provides practical comforts and conveniences, it also arouses emotions, associations, and memories.” fergusonshamamian.com